Everything to Save Him
by dukemarius
Summary: Years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sasuke developed the same illness as his brother, Itachi. He was brought back into Konohagakure, in critical state. Sakura knew that, in order to save her husband and her daughter's father, she must make tough decisions.
1. Sasuke is Sick!

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Konohagakure. Sakura Haruno was at home, finally enjoying her free time after a busy week at her pediatric clinic. Helping children is something she deeply enjoyed, and she would treat them for free if they were orphans whose parents died in the Fourth Shinobi World War. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps on the stair and smiled. She knew that her daughter, Sarada, descended.

"Mother, can I borrow one of your books?"

"Sure, sweetie! What book?" Sarada was the bookish type, wanting to know all there is to know about the world. Sakura believed that Sarada should go out more and mingle with children of her age.

"Fourth Shinobi World War: The Causes!" Sakura frowned. "Why would you want to read such a dark book? I told you everything about the war."

"I know but if I read this book, it would be like daddy would be here with me!" Sarada smiled. The pink haired kunoichi was saddened however. Sasuke was never around. His last visit was years ago, when Sarada was so little she wouldn't remember him. She rose from the sofa and took one of the many books in the library. "Here it is."

"Thank you, mommy!" Sarada took the book and went back to her room.

_Sasuke… Please, return home. She needs her father!_

Meantime, in the Hokage's office, Naruto worked at his computer, even though he despised doing that. He wanted to be out there, training, fighting, spending more time with his family, not doing paperwork and reading e-mails. However, he was the Hokage, and paperwork was part of his job as the leader of Konohagakure. _Man, I always wanted to become Hokage but now that I am… It's not so fun anymore!_ Suddenly, the door was almost kicked down by Shikamaru, who entered Naruto's office in a hurry!

"Shikamaru, what happened?" Naruto went straight to his assistant! "You almost destroyed the door!"

"Sorry, Naruto, but it is an emergency!"

"When it's not an emergency… So, what happened?"

"Naruto… It's… It's…"

Naruto got angry. "Tell me, man! What is it? Jeez, sometimes you are such a weirdo, believe it!"

"It's about Sasuke!" Naruto froze. Sasuke was his best friend, the man for whom he sacrificed his right arm. "What happened with Sasuke? Tell me, Shikamaru!" Naruto picked Shikamaru from his shoulders and started to shake him.

"Calm down, Naruto. Sasuke… he is very ill." If a huge anvil would fall from the sky and hit Naruto in the head, he wouldn't suffer as much as he suffered after hearing these words. _Sasuke…_ "But, how?"

"Apparently, it's the same disease that his brother, Itachi, suffered from."

"But if it is the same disease that Itachi had, that means that Sasuke will… No, it is impossible! I refuse to believe it! Where is he now? Is he in the village?"

"Yes, he is. Sasuke was in a small village at the border between Land of Fire and Land of Rain when he fainted. In that village, it was an Amegakure garrison. A shinobi recognized him and sent a message to our village. With the new alliance between Konoha and Ame, it was the sensible thing to do."

"But… How would you know it is the same disease? Maybe he fainted from lack of sleep or food or…" Naruto was interrupted by the grim look on Shikamaru's face.

"Tsunade-sama confirmed it. Looks like this disease plagued the Uchiha for centuries. It is something generated by their Sharingan and strong chakra. It runs in their blood."

"No… Where is Sasuke now?"

"At the hospital, in a special ward. It is not contagious, but we wouldn't want someone to hurt him. Even now, there are people in Konoha that despise Uchiha."

"Good call… Shikamaru… Let me inform Sakura-chan before going to the hospital."

"Of course, Naruto. Go! I will stay here and work while you are there."

"Thank you, my friend! But… It is a lot!"

"Well, it's troublesome but someone has to do it."

Naruto smiled and left his office and the Hokage building. While walking, he entered into some kind of trance. He woke up inside him, where Kurama, the Nine-Tails, awaited.

"Kurama! You must help Sasuke. You know everything! Surely there is something that you can do to save him!"

**"Naruto… If the Uchiha brat is suffering from that, he is as good as dead! This affliction is centuries old, and affects only them. It is one of their curses. Three out of ten Uchiha suffered and died from it. It's like leukemia, only with this disease, the chakra starts to attack the body. There is nothing I can do!"**

"But… We can use our Six Paths power! I saved Guy-sensei with it, didn't I?" The fox sighed:

**"It is true, but you restored his body, which was injured. You can mend wounds with the Yang Release, not cure diseases, especially not the chakra-affecting kind. That would require knowledge beyond anything I know about the Uchiha!"**

"Bah… Stupid Kurama! You don't know anything!"

**"Shut up! You can heal the damage the chakra is doing to his internal organs! That would prolong his life. But there is a limit to that too. If the cells multiply too fast in too little time, he would die as well!"**

"Finally a good idea! Thank you, Kurama! Sorry for lashing out at you!"

**"Hmm… Fine!"**

Back in the external world, Naruto reached for Sakura's house. He knocked at the door and his former teammate from Team 7 opened the door.

"Naruto! Hey! Long time no see! Finally, you decided to visit after so long! Come in!"

"Thanks, Sakura-chan…" Naruto entered the house and sat on the couch. His face was white as milk.

"You look awful, Naruto. You should rest. I know you are the Hokage and all, but hey, we all have to take a break for a while! It's Sunday, have fun with the kids and you know… _other_ kind of fun with Hinata!"

Naruto blushed. "Sakura-chan, that's so naughty. But… it's not about that. It's about Sasuke!" Sakura was in awe. Her heart started to pound. "Naruto, where is Sasuke?"

"He's… He's… Kami… He is in the hospital. He is sick!" Sakura's mouth opened, trying to speak but no word managed to exit her mouth. "Apparently, Granny Tsunade checked him, ran some tests and all that and she discovered that he suffers from that illness Itachi had…" Suddenly, Sakura exited the house in a hurry. "Wait! Sakura-chan!" Naruto followed her quickly.

At the hospital, an entire wing was dedicated to Sasuke, with many guards posted on the halls, all Chunin-level or higher. Sakura ran desperately towards her husband's room. She entered, as she was a medical-nin so she had clearance. There he was… Lying on a bed, with an oxygen mask on his face, with many tubes and medical equipment attached to his body… The man she loved, the man who fathered her child, just… dying. Sakura almost fell down. In the room entered two more persons.

"Please, let me alone with my… Oh! Tsunade-shisho, Kakashi-sensei!" The two former Hokage were there, with her.

"Sakura, if there is anything we can do to help you, we will do it!" Kakashi was sad as well, seeing his former students like that, suffering.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." She then turned to Tsunade. "Shisho, tell me what Naruto said to me isn't true!"

"Sakura… I am afraid it is. I ran all the tests, you can do it yourself if you want. There is no doubt about it. Sakura started to cry, but after a few moments, she asked Tsunade: "How much he has left…?"

"A… A few weeks, maybe a month!" Sakura was devastated, but she knew that it is not the moment for desperation. She must do something about it, but what? If her master, Tsunade, the greatest medical-nin of the world couldn't do anything, what could she possibly do? What? Even her master, one of the Sannin was powerless… But… She was not the only Sannin.

"Tsunade-shisho… I must go, I need to do something. Please, it's ok if leave Sarada at your house?"

"Not a problem, you know that Shizune loves her very much!" After she retired from the Hokage position, she took Shizune as a housemate, both being unable to enter into relationships. "But tell me, what are you going to do?"

"Please, trust me, shisho! I will return soon!" Sakura left, without saying anything more. She knew what she had to do!


	2. Back from the Dead

A few hours later, Sakura was outside the village, near a small manor. Children were playing and laughing loudly, bathing in the sun of that beautiful Sunday which turned awful for the pink kunoichi. Sakura entered the mansion, and saw even more children staying on the floor, laughing and listening to a young man with white hair and glasses, who told them stories about shinobi and fighting. It was none other than Kabuto Yakushi, former assistant of Orochimaru and one of the main causes of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Kabuto spotted Sakura immediately:

"Kids, we have a visitor! Our friend, Sakura-san!"

"Welcome, Sakura-san!" All the children saluted her in a chorus!

"Hello, children!" Sakura smiled towards them and walked to Kabuto. "Please, we must talk! Cand we do it somewhere more privately?"

"Uh… sure. Children, Sakura-san and I must talk. I will return and tell you the story about the Great Snake Sage!"

"Yippie!" The children were clearly anxious to hear this story. Sakura and Kabuto entered another room, smaller, which Sakura believed it was Kabuto's office.

"It is very unusual for someone from the village to come here, except for bringing supplies. Especially you, Sakura-san. I know Konohagakure was lenient with me, giving me only probation time after what I've done, so I will do my best to help you, only if you tell me what happened.

"Kabuto-san… Sasuke is very sick. He suffers from the same disease as Itachi. So please, help him!" Sakura started to cry. Kabuto was visibly saddened by this. Even though they were bitter enemies, Itachi and Sasuke helped him find himself and gave him a new purpose in life: To take care of the orphans in the Konohagakure Orphanage. "Sakura-san, I have studied Itachi's body after I allied myself with Obito. His organs were badly damaged. Chakra seemed to turn against his own body!"

"So… there is nothing we can do for him?"

"I never said that. Actually, I learned something interesting during my time as a spy for both Sasori and Orochimaru-sama." Sakura's eyes widened, hope starting to bloom inside her heart. "For a long time, Itachi was in contact with a medical-nin from a village in the Land of Water who supplied him with medicine, in order to prolong his life. But that's not all. He also did seem to find a cure, and told Itachi about it. But he refused, deciding to die in the battle with his brother." Sakura's heart almost exploded with joy. "That means… That means Sasuke will be saved! We need to find that shinobi, immediately."

Kabuto frowned. "Actually… That man died during the war. He fought in the Alliance's Third Company and was blown to pieces by Gari of the Explosion Release's techniques." Sakura passed from ecstasy to agony. "So… It's impossible…" She almost gave up when she looked at Kabuto and said:

"No! Kabuto-san, what am I going to ask you will be beyond anything I ever asked someone. It is unnatural! But please… Use the Impure World Reanimation to revive Itachi once again. He must tell you the cure, as you said that he knew about it."

"No… You have no idea what are you asking about! This technique requires…"

"A human sacrifice. I know. That's why… I offer to be the sacrifice! Use my body to revive my brother-in-law."

"Sakura-san… After the war, I swore never to use the Impure World Reanimation again. If I betray that promise, I would be killed. I don't want to leave the children alone again. Please, I cannot do that. And you have a daughter. A daughter that needs her mother at her side. I was alone all my life. Please, Sakura-san, don't let her suffer the same fate."

"Nobody will ever know. You can make to look that I was attacked by bandits or that I killed myself in my grief. As for my daughter… I know that I can't leave her alone, but there is no other way! If you deny me help, I will try to find Orochimaru. He will be much more willing to perform the technique on me."

"No… wait… Near the orphanage, some bandits made camp a few days ago. I could have killed them, but I decided to let them live, for as long as they don't attack the orphanage. These men are scum. We can capture one of them and use them for the ritual." Sakura knew that was murder. Something unnatural. But it must be done.

"Yes."

Twenty minutes later, Kabuto and Sakura arrived near a few tents nearby the road between Konohagakure and Tanzaku Village. She took out her kunai but Kabuto stopped her. "Please, there is no need for you to do this. Get behind me and cover your ears." She obeyed Kabuto and he clapped his palms. Suddenly, his skin turned white and he gained four horns on his head with one looking like it was severed by a sword. Kabuto also gained purple markings around his eyes. Sakura knew what that was. Kabuto just entered Sage Mode.

"Sage Art: White Rage Technique!" A red ethereal dragon exited his mouth and started to coil itself around a purple orb until exploding into a blinding white light. The screeching sound was deafening and all the persons inside the tents cried out in pain. Kabuto proceeded to kill all of them with a kunai except one until the light faded and the sound ended. The only bandit remaining was in shock from the sheer power of the technique Kabuto used. The snake sage touched that man's forehead and he fell asleep. Sakura believed that he was under genjutsu.

"Now, let us continue." Kabuto summoned a scroll from which he unsealed a small vial with blood inside it. He touched the grass with his hand and a black jutsu formula appeared under the bandit. Kabuto proceeded to pour the blood on the formula. "Now, all I have to do is weave the signs. Are you sure you want to do this? But, look at what I have done with the others… There is no escape now." Sakura nodded.

_Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon and then, clapping hands. _The hand seals were set and dirt started to encase the bandit's body. "Summoning: Impure World Reanimation! Come forth, Itachi Uchiha!" Sakura then heard probably the loudest shriek of pain she heard in her entire life as she saw the bandit slowly turning into another man completely. After a few seconds, Itachi Uchiha was there, dressed with the wine colored cloak he wore during his time in the War. His face was cracked and his eyes' sclera was black, with only his active Sharingan giving them any kind of color.

"Kabuto… What… Haven't you learned your lesson? Looks like I made a mistake again. I thought that putting you in Izanami would…"

"Itachi, do not be afraid! You were right. I was on a wrong path… A deeply wrong path. You showed me what is most important, and now, I am offering you an opportunity to protect what you love the most again."

"What? What do you mean?" Itachi then looked at the young woman staying near Kabuto. "You are Sasuke's teammate, Sakura-san, no?" Sakura felt incredibly strange, talking with a dead man, but he needed him. "No… I am his wife now." Itachi's eyes opened and a smile appeared on his face. "So he finally found what is the most important… You are my sister-in-law, it seems. Please, nice to meet you, even though I am dead." Kabuto left them, to talk, not before saying: "Sakura-san, when you will solve the problem with Sasuke, find me again. I will undo the technique and release Itachi's soul. "

"Yes, thank you, Kabuto-san!"

"Sasuke's problem? What happened? Is he alright?"

"No… It seems that Sasuke suffers from the same illness as you, Itachi-san. He is dying at the Konoha Hospital!" Itachi was shocked. His beloved little brother, for whom he made so many sacrifices, will die! "Itachi-san, Kabuto told me that you know the cure and that you were in contact with a medical-nin from the Land of Water, but that man died during the war, so you must help my husband!"

"Yes! I know the cure! We must hurry to the hospital!"

Itachi and Sakura departed to the village, through the forest. The sun was hot, but Itachi didn't feel it, as he was dead. The only thing he felt was a mixture of love, desperation and sadness.

"Itachi-san, you are an uncle!" Sakura smiled towards her brother-in-law. Itachi almost cried with joy and happiness. "This is… unbelievable! To think that a new life was born in the Uchiha clan! And especially, to think that it's his child! Tell me, Sakura-san; is a girl or a boy?"

"She is a girl. Her name is Sarada. She is ten years old."

"Sarada Uchiha… Ten years old…" Itachi kept repeating these words. He instantaneously loved Sarada, without even meeting her, as she was the heiress of their clan, and especially, she was the daughter of his brother, the being Itachi loved the most.


	3. Within our Grasp

"So, this is how you bypassed the barrier encompassing the village, Itachi-san?" Sakura watched the dead Uchiha as he weaved a few signs and created an opening in the giant invisible dome that was around Konohagakure.

"Yes, the Third Hokage taught me, if I ever wanted to see Sasuke again, even from the shadows."

"Itachi-san, I don't want to offend you but… It would be better if you don't show up at the hospital!" Itachi's saddened expression upset even Sakura.

"I know, they would probably start asking questions about how I came back and that would mean problems for you and Kabuto. You are right, I will hide myself."

"No need to do that. You may stay at my house and meet Sarada! This is the least I could do for you, after I dragged you from your eternal rest." Itachi's heart filled with happiness. He would finally have the opportunity to meet his niece, the future of his clan.

"Really? Thank you, Sakura-san!"

"No need to be so formal, Itachi-san."

"I must be. I was 21 when I died, so you are now older than me." Sakura laughed for a bit and then summoned a body bag from a scroll. "Here, get in. The street where my house is located is often patrolled by Chunin, so you need to hide here. Trust me!"

"An interesting situation. I will do it!" Itachi entered the body bag and Sakura, with her great strength, carried him in the village. Suddenly, after a few hundred meters, she was hailed by two shinobi. Sakura went near them.

"Yes, Tataki-san, Suzuki-san, what happened?"

"What happened, Sakura? Who is in the bag?"

"Umm… there was a situation on the road to Tanzaku Village. Apparently, some bandits made camp there and all of them were slaughtered by something big. I saw them while I was outside the village, trying to clear my head… So, I picked up one of the corpses for an autopsy!"

"Bandits… These bastards attacked nine transports in the last three days, so whoever did this, deserves a medal! Open the bag, Sakura! I want to see that asshole's face!"

"Umm, there is no need! He is badly injured and it's pretty disturbing!" Suzuki laughed. "Please, Sakura, we've been in the war, we've seen men blown to pieces. This one is a piece of cake!" Without any warning, the shinobi opened the body bag and saw the content. A blond haired individual, with several large cuts on his face and a pale expression. "So, you are the asshole who destroyed nine transports? You shit!" Suzuki hit the body and closed the body bag. "Go now, Sakura! Finally some justice in this world!" Sakura smiled towards the two men and continued to carry Itachi.

At her house, Itachi left the bag and sat on a chair.

"Whew, that was a close one. Thank you for transforming, Itachi-san!" Even in death, Itachi was as sharp as ever.

"No problem. So, tell me, where's the little one?"

"Sarada? She is at Tsunade-shisho's house. I will pick her up and bring her back. Until then, please, write down every ingredient you need to prepare a cure for Sasuke! Please, Itachi-san!"

"Of course!"

"Good. I will return to the hospital! Do not leave the house; we'll talk when I will come back!"

"I won't. Thank you, Sakura-san, for everything!"

Sakura left and Itachi remained alone. He picked up the piece of paper in front of him and, after finding a pen, proceeded to write down the means to make the necessary cure for Sasuke. After finishing it, he walked slowly in the house, looking, closely inspecting every item he found interesting. Technology evolved in Konohagakure, with computers, cell phones and even 3D cinema being available. However, the most interesting thing he found out was a picture of a young, black haired girl with glasses who cheerfully smiled.

_You must be Sarada… You are divine! You are the reason I did all of this, for a being like you to be born, free of the foolish hatred of the Uchiha. My brother's salvation wasn't me, but you are, sweet niece. A reason of his own to live, to fight, to strive for a better world. Kami is merciful towards me, as she is giving me this opportunity to see Sasuke's daughter. _Itachi put the photo down and continued his walk in the house, thinking:

_You see, my friend? This is the fruit of our labor. A new clan who is not an evil enemy but a force of good in our beloved village. Only if the fate would give you such a chance, Shisui… To bring you back to me. _Even like that, a reincarnated man, Itachi's thoughts were about the people that he loved the most in his life. Sasuke, Sarada, Shisui… His beloved brother, his brother's daughter and Shisui, his best friend, his brother in arms, his…love… Now that he was dead, Itachi wasn't as ashamed to admit his feelings for Shisui as he was in life.

A few hours have passed, but for Itachi, they felt like moments. He was watching TV, a much better show than anything from his age, when suddenly, the door was opened. Itachi looked towards the hallway with his Sharingan and froze in place. The girl from the photo was there, watching him with a dose of amazement combined with a bit of fear.

"Uncle…Itachi?"

Itachi's tears started to flow on his cracked cheek as he hugged Sarada. _Shisui… finally, peace is within our grasp. _


	4. Training and Memories

In the evening, the Uchiha family sat around the dinner table. However, there were plates with food only for Sakura and Sarada, as Itachi couldn't eat, being reanimated.

"Hey, Uncle Itachi, you don't like the dango? Maybe mother will cook you something else! Please, mom, we cannot let Uncle Itachi starve!" Itachi smirked, as he was thinking about how compassionate his niece was. Compassion was a quality that only a few of the Uchiha possessed in the history. Kagami was compassionate, giving his life for his friends in the village, Shisui as well… Itachi didn't consider himself to be compassionate, as he thought that a shinobi who killed his family cannot be a kind being.

"Sarada-chan, I love dango. It was my favorite thing to eat in life, but right now, as a reanimation, I cannot eat or drink anything. I wouldn't be able to feel the taste and it would pass through me with… messy results!"

"Ugh!" Sarada started to laugh.

After the dinner, Sarada continued to overwhelm Itachi with all kind of questions.

"Hey, Uncle Itachi, would you please train me? I want to be powerful as daddy and you, so I can become Hokage!" Itachi was impressed:

"So, you want to become the first Uchiha Hokage? That's impressive, Sarada-chan." _That's good; it would heal the rift between the village and the Uchiha once and for all. _"But for that, you must be really strong!"

"I know. Please, can you show me some of your jutsu? Please, please?"

"Sarada! NO JUTSU IN THE HOUSE!" Sakura snapped. "You know what happened the last time you used your Fire jutsu in the house. You almost burned it down!"

"That's incredible. You are able to perform Fire Style jutsu?"

"Yes, Uncle! Mommy, can we go the basement? I promise to be careful!"

"Fine…"

A few minutes later, Itachi and Sarada arrived to the basement.

"Good, Sarada! Now, I will create a Shadow Clone. Try to dispel it using your Fire jutsu. If it's strong enough, the clone will disappear." Itachi created a clone which stood in front of Sarada.

"OK, Uncle! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A small jet of fire exited Sarada's mouth and burned the coat of the clone, but it did not dispel it.

"Ugh! So close!" Sarada pouted.

"Don't worry. I know exactly what you must do. Listen: whenever you want to use Fire Style, you must first increase the temperature of the chakra inside you. Then, you expel it and it would be far more powerful. Here, let me show you! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi's fireball was so powerful that almost obliterated the floor of the basement, not only the Shadow Clone. Sarada was baffled:

"Wow… awesome! But… the floor is burning!"

"No problem!" Itachi waved a few signs: "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu" A large stream of water quickly extinguished the fire.

"Wow, you can use Water Style too?"

"Yes, and Wind Style, though I was never very skilled with it. Let me show you: Wind Style: Miniature Tornado." Sarada then started to float around Itachi, because of the small air vortex below her feet.

"Whee! Why are you saying you are not skilled with Wind? You are awesome!"

"Well, compared with Suna's Wind users or your current Hokage Naruto, I am quite a novice when it comes to Wind chakra. I know a thing or two about it but that's it!"

After an hour, the two returned upstairs. Sakura already went to bed, after a very difficult day. Sarada went to bed too, being tired after the training session and Itachi, being unable to sleep due to his condition, started to remember…

_"Fire Style: A Thousand Degrees Flame!"_

_"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"_

_The two techniques collided in midair and annihilated one another. "Well, Itachi, it seems that you have a few tricks up your sleeve. But with all that water around you… Lightning Style: High Voltage Zap!" Itachi fell to the ground, shaken by the power of Shisui's Lightning jutsu. "Get up, silly. You improved tremendously since we last trained together!"_

_"Not quite, Shisui… I wasn't able to counter your Lightning jutsu. If you hadn't decreased the jutsu's intensity…"_

_"Well, there's room to improvement, as always, without a doubt! But still, you fought with me and survived!" Shisui winked and smiled, making Itachi blush. Both shinobi then walked near the right bank of a river._

_"So… what's the situation with Sasuke? He is still sick?"_

_"Yes, tummy aches."_

_"Bah, don't worry. I remember the time when you missed the Academy classes for a day because of your tummy."_

_"Shisui, it's not the sickness itself that worries me. It's the fact that Sasuke is so sensitive and… I love him; I don't want to see him in pain!" Shisui the Teleporter started to laugh:_

_"Ha, ha, ha! You are a fool, love! Can't you see that Sasuke is much stronger that you think? Remember when he came with you to kill that boar? What child his age would do that? He loves you too, and he fights for you, but you must acknowledge his abilities. That child needs his brother!" Shisui's words made Itachi sad, but he knew that his lover was right._

_"Yes, I know, but what would happen if the clan would start the coup? Konoha's shinobi would never forgive us, and would slaughter anyone, including children… I don't want to see Sasuke dying…" Without letting Itachi saying another word, Shisui kissed him._

_"Hush now! Don't worry about it! I have a plan!"_

Itachi enjoyed these memories, yet they create a great amount of pain in his soul. However, he was happy that he met his niece and that she was a talented and smart kunoichi. His purpose was clear now: to save Sasuke and to protect his clan, with his third chance at life.


	5. Sweet Dreams

That night, was very cold. Even though Itachi couldn't feel the cold, the weather suited his purpose perfectly.

_Tomorrow is Monday, work day. By now, people should be in their beds. And with the cold weather… I may be able to see Sasuke!_

Itachi left Sakura's house and climbed to the roof of a nearby apartment block. He looked towards the eastern side of the village where the hospital was located with his Sharingan. He planned. Itachi knew he doesn't have much time as not only he had to move unseen towards the hospital but infiltrate it as well. Sakura told him about the high ranking shinobi that guard Sasuke, many of them being skilled Sensor-type ninjas. Itachi was about to leave the rooftop until somebody hailed him:

"ITACHI? What… How?" The Uchiha turned around and saw that the ninja that called his name was none other than Naruto Uzumaki.

"Naruto-kun… So… you became Hokage! It seems you took my words seriously!"

"Yes, but… How the hell are you here? Who reanimated you?"

"It is not important. The only thing that matters is that Sasuke is sick and he needs my help. Please, Naruto-kun. Take me to him. I need to see him, even from afar!"

"I understand, but…"

"Naruto-kun, you are now Hokage. The lives of hundreds of thousand people depend on you. But right now, the life of my brother depends on me. Imagine how you would feel to be unable to save those you care about. Please. Take me to him. Otherwise, I may be inclined to use offensive moves against you, if you try to stop me." The last thing Naruto would want was to fight a reanimated Itachi who really means it. Even though he was now Hokage, he couldn't help but feel that the former Akatsuki member was stronger than ever right now, fueled by his desire to see his brother.

"There is no need to fight, Itachi, believe me! I will take you to see Sasuke but nobody can know. I will create an opening for you."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun!"

On the road to the hospital, Itachi and Naruto talked about what happened after the former's fight against Kabuto.

"Incredible… So Sasuke and you took down the Sage of the Six Paths' mother?"

"Yes… and then the stupid Sasuke tried to kill the Five Kage and even imprisoned the Tailed Beasts! He talked about some revolution and that he would become the Hokage to unite the others in hate!" Itachi saddened.

"His vision about what it means to be Hokage was warped. A Hokage must lead his people with love and compassion. There is much pain in the world, and Sasuke felt a lot. And it was only my fault. But now, I have the chance to make things right for once!"

"You are too hard on yourself, Itachi! You did great things for the village…" Naruto was interrupted by Itachi's Sharingan glare.

"Enough, Naruto-kun… I know what I have done. Nothing was great. I destroyed one evil just to create another that almost brought the end of the shinobi world."

"And yet, you love him. That says a lot about your personality! And besides, Sasuke is now our most powerful ally! It was your example that helped him understand!"

"Whether it was my example or not that helped him is pure academic. You changed him, not me. Your friendship was the breath of life for his dying heart!" Naruto's eyes started to water:

"You know… you speak so artistic and whatnot…" Itachi smiled: _I guess some things never change!_

A few minutes later, Naruto and Itachi arrived at the hospital.

"Hide in those bushes over there!"

Naruto went inside the hospital. He was greeted by the head nurse:

"Hokage-sama, what happened?"

"Please, can you gather all the shinobi that guard Sasuke over here?"

"At once, sir!"

Five minutes later, all the ninjas were at the ground floor, with the Hokage:

"I was informed by an anonymous source that an insurgent cell wants to assassinate high-ranking village councilors. Their location is inside this envelope. It seems that various rogue ninjas with Kekkei Genkai is within their ranks. I need all of you to go there at once!"

"Hokage-sama, who will guard Sasuke-san?"

"I will use Sage Mode Shadow Clones here. They would suffice. Now please, go!"

"Yes sir!"

After the shinobi left, Naruto turned towards the nurse:

"You go home too, Tamiki-chan. There are plenty of nurses and medical-nin here to help the other sick people."

"Yes, sir!"

With the nurse leaving Sasuke's hospital wing, Naruto called Itachi in.

"An insurgent cell?"

"Well, it is not entirely a lie. I heard that Orochimaru is on the move again, but people tend to get scared when they hear about him, so…"

"I understand. Be careful, though. Orochimaru is not someone to be trifled with!"

"I know. Come, Itachi, let's go see Sasuke!"

The two shinobi arrived outside Sasuke's room. Naruto opened the door with a key.

"Enter, Itachi! You need time alone with him!"

The Uzumaki smiled and closed the door. For the first time in his existence, both as a living or as a dead person, Itachi felt pure fear. He looked towards the bed wherein his brother lied and he cried. He approached his brother and whispered to him.

_Look at you, Sasuke… Our cursed clan continues to ruin even the purest of us! But I swear to you, I won't let this disease destroy you! At this very moment, your wife fights for you! Trust her, Sasuke, and fight for her too! And also, fight for your daughter… Beautiful Sarada needs her daddy._

Sasuke's face started to cringe erratically. He had a bad dream. Itachi knew, because he had those too during his illness.

_Sleep well, my brother!_

Itachi activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and formed the Tiger sign with his hand.

_Omoikane!_

Itachi's Mangekyou shape started to rotate and Sasuke calmed down, even smiling. Then, Itachi fell down on his knees, holding his head with his hands. _So much pain… My brother, why do you have to suffer so much pain?_

Naruto saw Itachi falling on the door window and entered the room. He helped the Uchiha outside.

"Itachi, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Yes…"

"What happened with you? And what's with your eye?"

"I… I used a jutsu on Sasuke, the Omoikane. One of the Mangekyou Sharingan's techniques. I simply put him inside a genjutsu which gives him sweet dreams and took the bad ones inside me. I now have his fear, his pain in my head! It burns right through me, even though I am reanimated."

"What a jutsu…"

"The Omoikane is the most beautiful jutsu in existence, for it takes away the fear and the desperation in those you love."

"But in exchange, it gives you that fear and desperation!"

"A small price to pay, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto was impressed. He always spoke about taking Sasuke's pain unto himself but right now, Itachi did it literally.

"I must go. Please, do not try to follow me and don't tell anyone I am reanimated."

"Of course not, but you could stay in the village. There are many places you could hide!"

"I have a place to hide, don't worry. I will also try to work at a cure with my medical-nin accomplice. Naruto-kun, if this is to be our last meeting, I want you to promise me something: If somewhere along the way you will have to choose between your family and doing the right thing, please, choose your family! Even if that would create discord within the village! Do not make the same mistake as me. I chose to do what it was right to do and in exchange, I darkened my brother's soul. Do not make the same mistake with your son!"

Naruto pondered for a few moments and smirked at Itachi while extending his fist. Itachi understood the gesture and fist bumped with Naruto.

"Do not worry, Itachi. I promise!"

The Uchiha left the hospital, trying to reach Sakura's house before dawn. His revolving Mangekyou Sharingan pattern looked towards the moon.

_Please, Kami, don't let him die!_


	6. The Comforting Dead

Arriving at Sakura's house, Itachi was discovered by his sister-in-law:

"Itachi-san, where have you been?"

Itachi knew that it was useless to lie, since he has been discovered.

"I went to see Sasuke. I simply couldn't resist… Knowing that he is suffering over there and I…"

His answer was cut short by the profound pain he felt in his head. Sakura approached him:

"Are you in pain? I thought reanimated people can't feel pain".

A bloody tear ran down Itachi's cracked cheek from his right Mangekyou Sharingan eye.

"It's nothing… It happens to reanimated shinobi to feel strange when brought back to the human world. However, with this being my second reanimation… I should have a lot of experience right now!"

Sakura didn't know if Itachi was trying to crack a joke but she nodded and decided to let him be.

"Itachi-san, I couldn't sleep so I looked over the list you gave me and I must say… It's extremely difficult to make the cure. Not only the resources I need are extremely rare but the whole process is extraordinarily hard. I am afraid it would take a very long time to prepare it…" She started to cry. "I am not sure I can save my husband in time!"

"Sakura-san, I will tell you what I once told Sasuke: people live their lives bound by only what they accept as reality. If you are willing to accept the fact that Sasuke can't be saved then it's useless, he can't be saved. But, if you are willing to see the entire forest, not just the tree in front of you, you can save two people instead of just one!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"This disease is very fickle. There were times when it didn't appear for a few generations. In other cases, fathers, sons and even grandsons were affected by it. So…"

"Oh no… you don't think it could affect Sarada?!"

"Like I said, you could save not only Sasuke, but Sarada, if she would develop the illness!"

Sakura's knees almost gave out. Her heart was pounding. How could she be so blind to this fact?

"Listen… In the years I've been a member of the Akatsuki, I was partnered with Kisame Hoshigaki of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He put me in contact with a medic from the Land of Water that developed the same cure we now try to recreate."

"Yes, but he was killed during the war! So it's hopeless…"

"Sakura-san, for someone who earlier was willing to become a sacrifice for the Impure World Reincarnation, you are giving up quite easily. That man was your run-of-the-mill medical-nin. He wasn't a genius, he was just a man who studied and applied what he has learned. He wasn't a student of Tsunade and he didn't create an antidote to Sasori of the Red Sand's poison! If he managed to create a cure, you can do it, maybe even better!"

Sakura felt much better hearing Itachi's words. He was strangely comforting and optimistic, for someone who eradicated his clan in just a night and has a reputation for aloofness.

"So… where to start?"

"First and foremost, go to bed! It's almost morning. Try to sleep for at least four hours. Exhaustion makes a mind prone to mistake."

"You are right, I will!"

After Sakura left, Itachi remained alone in the room. He went to the small balcony and looked at the sun that was slowly rising. The burning pain in his head was as strong as before but now Itachi adapted to it and learned to ignore it. The Uchiha then closed his eyes, thinking:

_A sunny morning in the Hidden Leaf village. Itachi returned home after a grueling mission for the ANBU Black Ops. _

_"__Nii-san! Nii-san!"_

_Itachi recognized the voice. Sasuke probably heard him when he entered the house. His perception is improving. Itachi smiled. Six years old Sasuke gave his brother a strong hug. _

_"__Sasuke, it seems that you are quite happy this morning!"_

_"__I am, nii-san! Tell me, how was the mission? Did you kill someone?"_

_"__Well, I can't really speak about it. The mission is top secret, but I can tell you about the place I've been, only after you put some pants on!" _

_Sasuke looked down and his face became red hot. He was only in his briefs._

_"__I just woke up, you know…"_

_"__I know. Dress yourself first and then we'll talk!"_

_A few hours later, Itachi met with Shisui in a forest near the village._

_"__Ha ha… you refused to tell him about the mission just because he didn't have pants on him? If I were him, I would have come before you butt-naked, just to see your reaction!"_

_"__I would probably be shocked, Shisui…"_

_"__He loves you so much, and yet you refuse to be a brother to him! It's not enough to just poke him in the forehead and go shuriken training with him once in a while… Play together, tell him stories about your travels, hell, even lie about them and tell him you fought a dragon or a kraken, everything just to make him happy!"_

_"__You know I'm not a good storyteller!"_

_"__You know what your problem is? You are afraid to love! You are even afraid to admit that you like what happens between us! You are afraid of being human, Itachi!" _

_Shisui's words upset Itachi, but he knew that they were true._

_"__I am not afraid to love, Shisui… I love Sasuke and I love you too… I'm just… not very good at speaking about it."_

_"__And little Sasuke loves you and I love you. I would sacrifice my life for you! You should be happy that you have people that love you, Itachi… You know my parents were killed when I was just three. Try to be kinder with little Sasuke."_

_"__And I also know that you spared your parents' killer when you found him in the Hidden Mist."_

_"__Of course… His death wouldn't return my family to me and besides, this circle of hatred must end. He killed my parents, I would have killed him and his son would've probably killed me and so on! A never ending cycle of death and revenge. That's why I tell you to be nicer with your brother. You wouldn't want him to hate you!"_

Itachi reopened his eyes… These memories were very painful for him.

_Shisui… Maybe if I listened…_


	7. Dinner and Stories

"I'm impressed that you figured out this cure, Sakura! But I must say, it's very difficult to produce and even with my skills, I would probably finish it too late for Sasuke… I'm sorry!"

Tsunade's words fell down like a hammer. Sakura's eyes started to wet:

"No, there must be a way!"

"Listen, I will gather every talented medical-nin in the Land of Fire and I will contact even shinobi from other villages. You know that we have a teaching program for medical-nin from all the Five Great Nations. I am sure that they will help us!"

"Thank you, shisho… But I feel so hopeless!"

"Of course, it's about your husband. That's why I must ask you to keep your calm and your composure. Without them, you will fail!"

"So… let's start, shall we?"

"Let's!"

At Sakura's house, Itachi read the Monday Leaf, a popular magazine.

_So, meatballs can develop a tasty crust if you overcook them for two minutes. I didn't know that. Sarada is at the Academy and Sakura is working at the cure… Maybe I should prepare them a surprise!_

Itachi went to the kitchen and searched the fridge for meat. He then prepared meatballs, adding rice, tomato juice and peppermint, to give them an exotic flavor.

_According to the magazine, I should overcook them for two minutes. But this stove won't do… Let's try this…_

"Fire Style: Great Flame Jutsu!"

A powerful stream of fire hit the pan with the meatballs. However, the flames were a bit too hot and burned the entirety of the pan and even Itachi's arm. Due to the fact that he was a reanimated shinobi, his arm reconstructed quickly. However, half of the kitchen was wrecked!

_Now I've done it… Maybe I should try again, but not with Fire Style…_

After a few more tries, Itachi finally managed to prepare something that at least looked edible. Being a rogue ninja, he had to travel a lot in his life and home-cooked meals were out of the question for him. However, the Uchiha remembered his mother's recipes and, with a bit of advice from the magazine, it looked like he did a good job.

A few hours later, Sarada returned from the Academy.

"Mommy! I'm home!"

Instead of Sakura, it was Itachi who awaited her.

"Your mother has something important to do, Sarada-chan. So, I am here!"

"Uncle Itachi! Do you think mommy will save daddy?"

"So… you know about Sasuke?"

"Well… I've heard some rumors at the Academy and after classes, I sneaked in the Hokage's office and I heard him and Shikamaru-san talking about daddy. Is it true, Uncle Itachi? Will daddy die?"

Itachi looked towards his niece. He was impressed with the fact that she could manage to sneak inside the Hokage's office at such a young age. Sarada was really a promising kunoichi! Itachi reached out towards her with his hand full of cracks due to the Reincarnation jutsu and poked her in the forehead.

"Listen, Sarada-chan. You are a smart girl and I won't lie to you. I lied a lot to your father and that almost destroyed him so I won't make the same mistake with you! Your father is in a precarious position right now. There is a chance he will be fine, but there is also a chance he won't be. Like in shuriken training. You can completely miss the target and then you can hit the bull's eye. You must take in consideration a lot of factors: wind, position, your arm's tension. Same goes with your father. He has your mother and Tsunade-sama, who are the best medical-nin right now in the world. He has the best possible care! However, he has his own fight too. He must fight to live!"

Sarada smiled at Itachi. She was clearly more optimistic than before.

"Sarada-chan, while you were away, I cooked something for you, or at least, I tried!"

Her eyes glowed with happiness. She ran towards the kitchen, which looked absolutely abysmal but she didn't even flinch at the sight of the almost destroyed room.

"What have you prepared, Uncle Itachi? Is it dango? Or is it yakitori?"

"Well… no, there are some meatballs… or at least, that was my intention: for them to be meatballs!"

Sarada reached out the plate in front of her and ate one of the meatballs.

"They taste great, Uncle Itachi! You are an amazing cook!"

"You hate them, don't you?"

"No! I love them! You added the best ingredient, that makes them amazing!"

Itachi was confused.

"What ingredient? I don't think it's the rice because I overcooked it…"

"It's not the rice, Uncle… It's love! You made them for us, and you put love in it!"

Itachi was impressed and almost cried. However, his stoicism kept his feelings at bay.

"You can say that… It's just that… I love you, Sarada-chan!"

Sarada took another meatball and ate it almost immediately.

"But why, Uncle? You know me for so little time! I read in a book that feelings are built over a long time for them to grow!"

"Sarada-chan, you must not believe everything that you read, either in books or on that surf thing."

"Internet!"

"Yes… internet! You see, after I did what I did, I never imagined that the Uchiha clan would be restored at any point. You are also Sasuke's daughter and my niece, my flesh and blood. You are a hope for the family and for this village! I heard that you want to become Hokage in the future!"

"Yes!"

"You would be the first Uchiha Hokage in the history of the village. You will lead Konoha into a golden age even greater than this one! You have that potential! You are kind and loyal and very talented! But you must work immensely hard and never forget one thing: you must believe in your comrades!"

"I know, Uncle… But why are you talking like you won't be there with me?"

"Because I won't be there with you… At some point, the jutsu that keeps me reanimated must be undone. This isn't my world anymore! It's your world! Yours and your generation's. I watched some recordings from this year's Chunin exams. You kids are doing things I wouldn't even dream to do in my time! I remember that once Shisui and I tried to combine paper bombs with the Summoning jutsu! It didn't work very well… In fact, I was injured for a few days and I had to be spoon-fed by your father!"

Sarada started to laugh.

"Ha, ha, ha! Daddy spoon-fed YOU?"

"Well, I could've fed myself but he insisted that I should rest. He was such a good child…"

"Uncle, please, don't be sad! Tell me a happy story about daddy and you!"

"Well… I don't think there are many happy stories between us… Hmm… I remember the time me, Shisui and Sasuke went fishing to the Rizeki River."

"Tell me, tell me!"

"Well, Shisui and I had a mission. We had to escort a VIP to the Land of Tea. Father insisted that we should take Sasuke, that he should see a real shinobi mission. Your grandfather was quite the martinet, you know?"

"Ha, ha, ha!"

"In any case, your father was only 5 at the time and our mission turned into a babysitting mission instead of an escort one. Two days on the road and little Sasuke started to get bored. We stopped to resupply and Shisui had the bright idea to go fishing. As Sasuke wasn't bored enough. So, they left to the river. When I arrived there, I saw those two knuckleheads using the fishing poles like swords… They were _training_. They broke the fishing poles and we had to use our hands to fish!"

"Wow! You fished with your own hands?"

"Sasuke turned this thing into a contest. Whoever catches the most fishes, wins. He was quite happy to see us like that so we played along. I only managed to catch three, while Shisui caught nineteen!"

"How did he do it?"

"He put them under genjutsu and then easily picked them up!"

"Shisui-san cheated!"

"That he did. But Sasuke laughed like crazy at me for trying to catch those fishes with my bare hands. I looked ridiculous! He was so happy, so full of life! We had fun that day! Unlike the VIP, who almost went mad because of the hunger. We returned to the caravan three hours later!"

After the story, Sarada realized that the meatballs were over.

"I ate them all… Mommy will starve…"

"Don't worry! I had some for her too!"

"Really? You're the best, Uncle! Oh! Look at the time! I have to go to Konohamaru-sensei's house with Boruto and Mitsuki! We have nighttime training today!"

"Is that the Third Hokage's grandson?"

"Yes!"

"Very impressive! So he is a Jonin!"

"Yes, and Boruto is the son of Naruto-sama, the Seventh Hokage and Mitsuki is the son of a guy named Orochimaru but we don't know if Orochimaru is Mitsuki's father or his mother!"

Itachi was baffled. Not only Orochimaru had a son but he also had gender issues!

"Well, the man was always weird… Or woman…"

"Ha, ha! Time to go!"

"Goodbye, Sarada-chan! Break a leg!"

"Thanks! Bye!"

Itachi remained alone in the house once more.

_Heh… I never talked very much but this girl… She makes you want to talk._


	8. The Liberation Corps

The nights are long for Itachi. Everyone is asleep or, in Sakura's case, working but he cannot sleep. He must spend the entire night pondering or watching weird nighttime shows. Sarada left for her training and Itachi decided that he should try and visit Sasuke again, at the hospital. Even though he feared that his cover will be blown and he would be discovered, he was willing to risk it.

Before he left the house however, he heard something strange. The sound came from upstairs. Itachi moved slowly in order not to be heard and went upstairs. It seems that they were people inside Sarada's room.

"Damn that Uchiha brat! She's not here!"

"Search the room! We must find clues on where she is!"

Itachi froze. _So, they are after Sarada…_ He decided to enter the room.

"What…" One of the men watched in fear as Itachi Uchiha approached him, slowly and steadily.

"Itachi? How?"

"Look at his eyes, he is a Reincarnation!"

"Remnant from the war! Hishio, let's get out of here!"

"Right!"

Before Hishio and his partner would leave, Itachi put them both under Tsukuyomi.

_"__Where… where are we?"_

_"__Nobe-san, where are we?_

_"__Shut up, Hishio, I'm trying to figure it out!"_

_"__You're under Tsukuyomi… Now tell me, if you want to live, what do you want to do with Sarada?"_

_"__You bastard! You won't get anything from us!"_

_"__I admire your bravery, but it's not a question of if you're going to tell me but when you're going to tell me. I can be very… persuasive!"_

_"__I know about your Uchiha freaks' Visual Prowess. You can screw with people's minds and torture them, but we won't fall for that!" Nobe was clearly not afraid of Itachi but his partner, Hishio, trembled._

_"__It seems that your friend is more… willing to discuss with me! Tell me what I need to know and I promise you I will be merciful. If you refuse, I am going to remove the guts of your friend piece by piece using this sword until you comply!" Itachi took out a katana from underneath his wine-colored cloak._

_"__Begin! Tell me, what were you doing at Sakura Haruno's house?"_

_"__Hishio! Don't give up! He is the enemy of all what we believe in!"_

_"__I know, boss, but…"_

_"__Mmm… your beliefs? Tell me about those them! Until you tell me, I will stab Nobe in the belly once every thirty seconds, beginning now!" _

_Itachi stabbed his victim in the abdomen and Nobe started to wince. Hishio was shocked seeing his boss in pain and Itachi's implacable look on his face. _

_"__Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven…"_

_"__Stop! We are the Liberation Corps! We wanted to kill Sarada Uchiha!"_

_"__Hishio… you traitorous…ugh!"_

_"__Liberation Corps? Who are you?"_

_"__We are a group of shinobi from the Land of Fire that remember the destruction perpetrated by Madara and Obito Uchiha! We are not going to allow another Uchiha to live so that a new war would start!"_

_"__Shut up… Hishio…" Nobe was clearly in pain and his voice was very dim._

_"__How many are you? Tell me, or I will stab him again!"_

_"__One thousand!"_

_Itachi was in shock. One thousand shinobi were after his brother and niece._

_"__I see… As I promised, I will let you live!"_

Itachi dispelled the illusion and the two Liberation Corps members were on the floor. Nobe realized he wasn't stabbed in the abdomen.

"Hishio… you fool…"

"Sorry… boss!"

Without any word, Itachi weaved a few hand signs and summoned three large crows that created a chakra triangle with Hishio and Nobe in the middle.

"Sealing Jutsu: Dark Sleep of A Thousand Flapping Whispers!"

"What… you said you won't kill us!"

"I won't. That's why I will seal you until I figure out this Liberation Corps madness!"

The two fell down asleep inside the chakra barrier and disappeared shortly after.

"Ugh… It seems the Uchiha remain as hated as ever, even in this era. At least my cover wasn't blown. I must hurry to the hospital. If they attacked here, they probably know that Sakura is not around, so they must know about Sasuke too."

Itachi left the house and parkoured his way to the hospital in almost ten minutes. The night was warm but quiet; the only voices heard was those of the drunk people in the taverns or rebellious teenagers that stayed up late. He arrived at the hospital.

_"__Too quiet…"_

Suddenly, Itachi heard an explosion nearby. He rushed out towards it. Almost a hundred shinobi attacked the hospital, killing a few medical-nin who went out to defend it.

_"__Oh no…"_

Itachi then screamed: "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" An immense water dragon exited the Uchiha's mouth.

"Water Dragon Genjutsu!" The dragon's eyes turned into Mangekyou Sharingan eyes with the same pattern as Itachi's. Each attacker the water touched, fell under genjutsu, putting them effectively to sleep.

"It's Itachi Uchiha! Attack him!"

A group of shinobi shouted: "Earth Style: Rock Blast!" A rain of earth and rock fell upon Itachi who managed to dodge it at the last moment. He knew that if he receives lethal damage, it will take time for him to reconstruct, time that can be used by the terrorists to kill Sasuke.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Hundreds of small fireballs hit some of the attacking shinobi. However, two of them managed to get behind Itachi and cut off his left arm with a sword.

"Now the dead bastard won't be able to weave signs until he reconstructs. Liberation Corps, attack him without stoppage!"

_"__It's bad…"_

"Earth Style: Rock Blast!" Another volley of rocks flew towards Itachi who managed to dodge them the second time too.

_"__I'll have to use this" _

Itachi swallowed a small scroll he hid in his sleeve and approached the attackers.

"Fire Style: Hellfire Jutsu!" The Uchiha expelled a huge flame from his mouth that instantaneously carbonized a few of the terrorists.

_"__It's useful when you can't weave signs!"_

Itachi's left arm reconstructed completely and now he could weave signs again. He activated his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"The bastard tries to use Amaterasu! Dissipate and flank him!"

_"__I'm not trying to use Amaterasu"_

"Secret Barrier Jutsu: Celestial Drop!"

The entire platoon was obliterated by a powerful ethereal punch from the skies. Only one shinobi survived, but he was severely injured.

"What… was that?"

"An S-rank jutsu that it is known only to those that possess the Will of Fire! The barrier that encapsulates the village can be used offensively too; it only needs a signal… My Mangekyou Sharingan!"

"So… you weren't using… Amaterasu…"

"No… Amaterasu's flames are too powerful to correctly control them. It could've burned down the hospital."

"Maybe… it would have been for the best…" With this, the shinobi died.

Itachi was very upset seeing the large amount of destruction his fight left behind. Suddenly, an entire platoon of Konoha shinobi arrived, with Naruto and Shikamaru leading them.

"Itachi… Uchiha? What a drag… now you're here too."

"Itachi, what happened?"

"What… you knew he was… ugh… alive?"

"Naruto-kun… I will explain everything. I must see Sasuke!"

"Go upstairs!"

A few minutes later, Itachi was in Sasuke's room while the Hokage and his second in command talked outside.

"I don't know exactly how Itachi came back but I know one thing! He is not an enemy!"

"How do you know that?"

"I simply do. Let them be together! We will talk tomorrow."


	9. The Plan

The next morning, Sakura, Itachi and Shikamaru were in the Hokage's office. Naruto had a serious expression on his face.

"Itachi, these terrorists are the insurgent cell I talked about when we last met. They assassinated a few of our ANBU and now, this… Believe it, it's bad!"

Shikamaru coughed:

"Tell me, Itachi, how did you come back to life? Someone clearly Reincarnated you, but who?"

Sakura responded, instead of Itachi:

"I heard that Itachi knows about the cure for Sasuke's illness. So I contacted a practitioner of the Impure World Reincarnation and that individual brought him back to life."

Naruto frowned:

"That jutsu requires a living sacrifice. Who was it?"

"A bandit from a camp outside the village."

"There is only one individual in the Leaf that knows this kinjutsu. Kabuto Yakushi. You didn't seek Orochimaru, as you never left the outskirts of the village so it must be Kabuto. Why, Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto… I made a mistake but that's the only way to cure my husband, your friend. Forgive us! Kabuto did it for me and for Sasuke."

"Naruto-kun, even though my Reincarnation was a horrible act, right now I am the only one who can protect Sasuke and Sarada."

Shikamaru approved:

"An immortal shinobi, especially one as powerful as Itachi is surely an asset. If he is to be trusted."

"Shikamaru-san, you consider me a traitor and a rogue, and you are right, I am both. But right now, the only reason that I am here is to protect my brother and my niece. No matter the outcome of Sasuke's illness, I will return to the Pure World after everything is ended. Kabuto will release the jutsu."

Naruto closed his eyes for a while and in after a minute he opened them again, smiling.

"Shikamaru, I understand your feelings but right now, Itachi is our greatest ally, because he will do anything to protect his family. Yes, he massacred his clan, but he did it for…"

"Naruto-kun!"

"No, Itachi! Shikamaru, Sakura, you must understand what happened during the Uchiha Massacre.

To Itachi's horror, Naruto revealed everything he knew about that night. Everyone was baffled, especially Sakura. Shikamaru, as always, rationalized it:

"Well, it sounds logical to think about it. In that moment, the political stage in the village was very unstable. An Uchiha coup d'état would have caused another Shinobi World War, for sure."

"Yes, but this information must not leave this room. All of you, promise me! I want to keep intact the last of the Uchiha Clan's honor."

"I promise you, Itachi-san… And I am sorry for what you endured!"

"I promise as well, Itachi. You fought for the village!"

"Well, I suppose I broke my initial promise to you, Itachi, but right now, this had to be revealed."

"I understand, Naruto-kun."

"So, what is our plan, Hokage-sama?" Sakura's face was serious and this question was on everyone's mind.

"Well… I suppose Itachi had the most contact with these shinobi. Tell us, who are they and what do they want?"

"They are an organization called the Liberation Corps. They initially were a thousand or so but right now, their number has dwindled after my fight with them last night. So they are nine hundred or so. They are shinobi from the Land of Fire that want to destroy the last remaining Uchiha in order to prevent another Madara or Obito to be born. I don't know anything about their leadership or members except the fact that I've captured two of them who last night tried to assassinate Sarada-chan in her room."

Sakura gasped.

"Fortunately, Sarada-chan left the house to go to nighttime training with her team so the house was empty, except for me. I have the two Liberation shinobi sealed and I will give them to the Torture and Interrogation Force for further study. Also, the shinobi I've fought used swords and Earth Style jutsu. The captured shinobi names are Hishio and Nobe. Nobe is a higher ranked shinobi in their organization and his will is unbreakable. Hishio on the other hand is weak-willed so try with him."

Itachi then produced a small crow egg from his sleeve.

"Inside this egg are the two. To get them out, just crack open the egg."

The egg was taken by Shikamaru and put inside a box.

"If this Nobe is who I believe he is, we have a problem!"

"What is it, Shikamaru?"

"Nobe is a rogue ninja who left the village after Sasuke was pardoned after the war. His brother was killed during the battle between you and the Ten-Tails. He is not particularly strong but he knows many secrets about the village."

"It makes sense. Almost 100 shinobi to reach the hospital undisturbed last night? They must have had information about a secret entrance in the village."

"Itachi, have any shinobi of those that you fought displayed any Kekkei Genkai?"

"Not that I know of. They used Kenjutsu and Earth Style. But at the beginning, it was a large explosion. Maybe one of them used the Explosion Style?"

"Our medical squad recovered the bodies and right now, autopsies are being performed. We will know for sure in a few hours. Shizune-san conducts the exams so Tsunade-shisho and I will focus on the cure."

Naruto smiled.

"Good. Until we know more, I will recall Team Konohamaru. We must protect Sarada. Itachi, I want to ask you something. Sarada needs to develop her Sharingan abilities so please, help her with that one."

"Yes, and she also needs to master a nature transformation. She showed aptitude for Fire, but any shinobi will expect an Uchiha to use Fire. I will try to help her learn Water Style."

"Very good!"

After the meeting, Sakura and Itachi returned to the house.

"Oh… I am so glad that everything is alright and that Sarada is fine. You protected her, thank you!"

"I told you, I would do anything for her!"

"Excuse me, Itachi-san. I want to drink a cup of coffee and then go to bed. I am very tired."

"Of course!"

A few seconds after Sakura entered the kitchen, she almost exploded with anger:

"THOSE BASTARDS! THOSE LIBERATION ASSHOLES! THEY RUINED MY KITCHEN!"

Itachi smiled:

_"__Well… That was me and my cooking…"_


End file.
